Pesanka_PUBA 306__Chapter 1 Assignment 1
Chapter One of our textbook is an overview of the study of public administration.
These are the five most important lessons I have learned from this chapter and why I
found them to be important.
1. Public Administration definition
Public Administration makes up thousands of jobs in industries that all
citizens rely on in our society. These industries are usually government agencies
that help administer services based off laws or community services needed based
on a national, state or local level. These include things like security, finance,
communication, healthcare and emergency management. I find that while there is
always going to be debate on how much control the government has over certain
industries, it is an important and necessary function of society to have certain
needs met through the administration of government policy.
2. Role of management in Public Administration
Public management focuses on the organizing of the services that are
being provided by their agency. Like the private sector, a manager’s role is to
steer the organization towards its fundamental goals. However, in the public
sector, managers must be aware of laws set up by the governing agency. Due to
the nature of government, and bureaucratic red tape, managers can often feel like
their hands are tied and required to make decisions even if not popular or less than
ideal. Due to our current political culture, I find it very relevant to pay close
attention to why these managers where chosen based off their political alliances.
Pesanka_PUBA 306__Chapter 1 Assignment 2
3. Politics in organizational structure
The structure of an organization can be directly tied to political motives
based on the type of work or goals set forth from the overseeing administration.
Certain policies and programs can be placed at a higher level of importance over
others and can allow for greater or more limited access for interests’ groups to
become involved. History has shown that reorganizing or even combining certain
agencies can cause conflicts. This can especially be seen on more of a local level
during times of change such as large population growth and how agencies need to
redefine their duties. We see it here in Hawaii in the means of lack of affordable
housing, and homelessness and how administration is to address these issues.
4. Checks and balances
Checks and balances are a principle developed by the makers of the
Constitution to keep governments power distributed. Each branch of government;
legislative, executive and judicial has the means to keep those divisions power in
check by making sure they are not overstepping their duties to gain more power
over the others. In my opinion, this is one of the most important concepts in
government today. Without it, we could be living in an entirely different political
system. It is important to maintain stability in government.
5. Social Change and Public Administration
The way Public Administration has had to adapt to social change can be
seen in ways of population growth, technological changes and even climate
change. More resources such as police are needed to handle growing
communities. Some areas can scale back as computers have allowed certain
Pesanka_PUBA 306__Chapter 1 Assignment 3
services to be provided online, eliminating some government positions. And
again, new staff or entire agencies may be needed to help combat the effects of
climate change. Society is changing in numbers, as well as overall changes in
social norm. For the example of climate change, the majority of citizens believe in
the science and want to protect the Planet. However, depending on the
administration views, this can sometimes be a point of contention, as we currently
see in out current administration. I think that social change has the greatest effect
on Public Administration and it is up to citizens to continue to be a part of the
democratic process to make the changes they want to see.
